CORIOLIS

A hockey puck is launched from Vancouver toward the east. The inertial great circle path of the puck takes it south of the great circle path that the puck would follow on a stationary earth. The earthbound observer attributes this deflection to the centrifugal and Coriolis forces. Note that even the stationary earth path takes the puck south of the original line of latitude (see Curvilinear animation).


Legend:

Blue: Inertial Great Circle

Red: Path on rotating earth

Gray: Path on stationary earth


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